This offering of SOC 102 will be taught through the lens of social stratification and inequality. Social stratification is a cornerstone topic in the field, and is central to understanding the social forces that generate and perpetuate inequalities among individuals and groups in every society. While most people are aware that some individuals are rich and powerful while others are not, there is less recognition of the systems of social stratification that shape how much wealth, power and prestige different people hold. Stratification systems also influence people’s educational attainment, working lives, health, and opportunities for a better life for themselves or their children, among other crucial outcomes. In this course we will examine some of the key theoretical frameworks that sociologists have used to explain social stratification and inequality, as well as looking at the evidence for levels and trends of inequality in the United States and other parts of the world. We will focus on the systems of class and status that structure society, as well as other axes of social inequalities, particularly race, ethnicity and gender.

Syllabi are available to current LSA students. IMPORTANT: These syllabi are provided to give students a general idea about the courses, as offered by LSA departments and programs in prior academic terms. The syllabi do not necessarily reflect the assignments, sequence of course materials, and/or course expectations that the faculty and departments/programs have for these same courses in the current and/or future terms.